Thursday, November 9, 2017

Every Christmas I buy a few new Christmas CDs, and have posted brief reviews of them the last few years. I bought 4 new ones this year, not counting "new" used ones that I purchased since last Christmas:

Alabama: An American Christmas

This is the third Christmas CD Alabama has done, and is the best in my opinion. Their first CD only had a few songs I liked very much, and I didn't like their second one at all. This one is definitely the best.

An American Christmas has 15 songs. Three of those are 3 traditional carols. They do the traditional secular tunes Jingle Bells and Winter Wonderland and Auld Lang Syne, along with 7 new tunes, at least to me. Two of those new songs do a great job of getting at the true meaning of Christmas: Remember Me and The Greatest Gift. They also re-recorded their most famous and well-liked Christmas song, Christmas In Dixie.

Personal favorites:
The Greatest Gift
Christmas In Dixie
Jingle Bells

This is a great CD to add to your music collection, especially if you like country Christmas music.

Doug Anderson: Back Porch Christmas

Doug Anderson was baritone for Ernie Haase And Signature Sound for several years before going solo. I feel that was a good decision, and have liked his solo CDs. He collaborated on this CD with a new country group called 4th and Main that consists of 4 young guys. They sing back up on the CD, and I think may also do a guest vocal or two.

Sadlly this CD only has 8 songs, though I did only pay $8.99 for it. I like at least 10 songs on a CD. It is a great CD though, and one I am really enjoying, Six of the songs are new, at least to me. On one of the new songs, he does Joy to the World with it. He recorded Christmas In Heaven, which is a great song done by country singer Scotty McCreery. He also did the old standard I'll Be Home for Christmas.

The CD is Southern Gospel/Country, and 4th and Main added a lot to the CD with their vocals. Although the CD only has 8 songs, they are a great variety of songs that are done with style.

Personal favorites:
Christmas In Heaven
If It Wasn't For Christmas/Joy to the World
Back Porch Christmas

Sam Levine: Smooth Christmas

Sam Leving is a saxophone player, and I have several of his CDs. He does all styles of music: Hymns, Praise & Worship, 50's, 60's, movie tunes, and more. This is his second Christmas CD, and the better of the two, The other one was mostly or all newer Christmas songs, whereas this one is all traditional tunes. The CD has 12 songs, and all of them are total instrumental, sax with other instruments backing it up. There are no vocals at all. Of the 12 songs, all were familiar to me except for The Wexford Carol and All Is Well. This is a great CD to have playing in the background, or in the car when you aren't in the mood for someone singing. And I think he is as good as Kenny G.

Personal favorites:
O Come All Ye Faithful
Go Tell It On the Mountain/Children Go Where I Send Thee
Mary, Did You Know?
O Holy Night

Casting Crowns: It's Finally Christmas

This is the only CCM Christmas CD I bought this year. It is what is considered an EP, so it only has 6 songs on it. Three of the songs are traditional carols/hymns, with two of them having a newer song put with them.

The songs are done well, with no outrageous or wild arrangements, and one doesn't have to like the group's usual fare to like this.

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Note to authors: I do review for some publishers, but if you are interested in getting a book reviewed, doing a email review, or even a guest blog, contact me. I am primarily interested in Christian fiction, and other types of Christian books. I also like to host giveaways.

I do prefer physical copies, as I never read e-books.

Also interested in reviewing other items. Email: marcus802001(at)yahoo(dot)com

About Me

I live in Lisbon, Ohio. I am single, and am uncle to the six greatest kids in the world. I enjoy blogging about Christian fiction, my family, Christianity, and the events of my life.
I deal personally with same-sex attraction, but am living according to God's Word with His help.
If you are an author, particularly Christian fiction, and need someone to review your book, give me a holler.